Push button control for alpha bank of elevators



Oct. 24, 1933.

L. J, KELLEY ET AL PUSH BUTTON CONTROL FOR A BANK OF ELEVATORS Filed Aug. 5, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 w t-53f;- Z0 37 [54 INVE OR J T a/ 1 w J v and?" 1933- L. J. KELLEY n AL PUSH BUTTON CONTROL FOR A BANK OF ELEVATORS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Q 000 0 0 6 m 2 9 l 5 o a 000 Mn 0 A m d e 1 1 F A:' Q 8 m 1 GUM ' particular car.

Patented Oct. 24, 1933 P T-E OFFICE PUSH BUTTON CONTROL FOR A BAN-K OF ELEVATORS Lorin J. Kelley, St. Louis, Mo and Cyrus W.

Bassett, Montclair, N.

J assignors to Elevator Supplies Company, 1110., Hoboken, N. J., a cor poration of New Jersey Application August 5, 1926. Serial No. 127,358

8 Claims.

This invention relates to the control of elevators. The invention is applicable to all electrically actuated elevators, and can be applied so 1 as to provide a system of control for any desired number of cars, as for example four or more cars arranged in a bank so-ealled; or in a simpler formthe system may exercise complete control over the movement of just a single can We are aware that push-button control for elevators is old so far as individual car control is concerned. That is to say, it is old to control the movement of an operator-less elevator thru push button controller apparatus designed to effect the operation of the hoisting means for a But so far as we have been able to determine, it is novel with us to provide an electrical system of control applicable to a bank 01 cars provided with attendants with the following *esults, achievable thru the operation of a unitary mechanism: o

providing in each car a single series of push-buttons, there being one corresponding to each floor of the building past which the elevator travels, and by further providing the welllc pair of push-buttons (one for up signai 11g and one for down) in the corridor at each flOOl (one pair serving for all the cars in the bank) ,.the operation is such that upon depressing a corridor push button (the term push-but ton being used here in its generic sense to inelude any form of hand-operated circuit-closer) the electricalparts on": the system function to cause automatic stopping of the first car to reach the corresponding floor and travelingin the proper direction; the partsfurther functioning to lat floor and direction of travel, so thatonly *st car isstopped, the othercars proceeding on that however, there is a passenger in onevof the other cars who Wishesto get off at the same floor, the system functions to stop that car also, the only act necessary to accomplish this being the pushing of the proper button in the car .at any time prior to reaching the floor.

In other worda the system operates to stop o the leading car of the bank at any particuloor, 63235- t in cases where a passenger .in car wishes to oil at the same :floor; in ich event the system operates to stop this car also. In either case the only manual act the pressing ofa button (that is, th 'closlng of a circuit). The operation proautomatically and step by step from this single initial act, and no duty'is required of the orarily out the other cars with respect car attendant beyond that of throwing his control lever (or car-switch, as it is'better known in the trade) to car-starting position after each stop.

Inasmuch as all cars must stop'at the top and bottom terminals, the system is arranged to stop each car automatically at "these points.

To provide smoother and more sensitive openation, the system is preferably used in con-junction with an automatic-leveling system, so that and partly mechanical representation of the parts preferably employed in our novel system, and Figure 2 is a cross-section of a building equipped with a plurality of elevators :towhich the present invention is applied.

Referring to the drawings, reference charac- :ter 1 designates :the floor or platform of an elevator car A; and character '2 the control lever or car-switch, which may be of any of the common constructions, and which is.adaptedto.control:the energization of the hoisting motor MA whose armature is represented schematically at 3 in Figure 1.

This control lever 2, inorder to carry outour novel scheme of operation, is provided with some means for locking itself when ineither the up or down running position, and likewise each of theother elevators B,C and D (assuming a :four car installation as illustrated in Figure?) is provided with similar equipment. This locking means in the preferred form, as illustrated herewith, consists of a pair of pivoted hooks or latches as shown at 4 and 5, thelatche being so arranged that it will engage the control lever whenlthe latter is in the up running position and the latch 5 being arranged so that it will engage the control lever when in the down running position. 'The engagement of (these latches with the control lever may-be efiectedbyany suitablemeans, but we preferably provide a pin6 projecting from the control lever in such-a position that itwlllride in under the latch 4 or 5 (as illustrated by the dotted line :circles 17 and 8) whenever 'the control lever 2 is rotatedby thecperator from its neutral central position shown in the drawings. It is further to be understood that the control lever 2 will always assume the neutral position shown whenever the restraint which holds it in the running position is removed.

Any of the common devices may be employed for causing the control lever 2 to automatically assume the vertical position when the restraint is removed therefrom, as for example, a spring 9, coiled about the pivot point of the control lever. Such a construction is illustrated more in detail and on a larger scale in patent to Norton, #1,545,164, granted July 7, 1925. Consequently it is not considered necessary to go further with a detail description of this portion of the apparatus.

When the control lever 2 is moved to the right by the operator, the pin 6 hits against the end of latch 5, depressing the latter about its pivot 11 and causing a corresponding depression of rod 12 against the action of spring 13, located preferably just above the floor of the elevator cab 1. On further movement of lever 2 to the right pin 6 is firmly caught by the hooked end or latch 5, in which position it tends to remain by reason of the force of spring 13 holding the latch 5 in locking relation to the pin 6. It will thus be apparent that the control lever will be lpcked in this running position without further attention from the operator until such a time when some force is brought to bear upon rod 12 to depress the same against the action 01' W13. In this connection it is one of the purposes of our invention to provide such a means for depressing rod 12 and to cause this means to be brought into operation when, and only when, it is desired to stop car 1. In the preferred embodiment, as illustrated, this means comprises an electromagnet 14 so positioned that upon passage of current therethrough, the magnet will exert its force to cause depression of rod 12., This is preferably done by connecting the lower end of rod 12 with one end of a rocker 15 pivoted as shown at 16, which rocker serves as the armature to be attracted by energization of magnet 14.

The mechanism just described operates, as will become more apparent as the description progresses. to automatically return the control lever 2 to neutral position at the proper time or times during motion of the car in one direction. This mechanism is duplicated as shown in the drawlugs, to provide similar automatic stopping means tor the car while running in the opposite direction. These two mechanisms are mechanically operated by the two magnets 14 and 17 and may be wired in parallel as shown. I

4,. In connection with our automatic stopping means, we prefer to provide levelling apparatus lo-called which will operate upon the return of the control lever 2 to neutral position to allow the car to "creep" to an exact level with the floor rather than stop abruptly upon energization of either magnets 14 or 17.

To accomplish this any of the common schemes for controlling the hoisting motor 3 may be employcd, but for purposes of illustration we have shown the manner in which one of such levelling mechanisms may bemade to cooperate with our scheme of automatic stopping. The levelling .apparatusillustrated comprises a flexible tape 19 extending the length of the elevator well and passing over pulleys or a sheave at each end of the well and connecting with elevator car 1 so as to travel with the car in the manner clearly illustrated and described in patent to Baruch #1580363 granted April 13, 1926. This tape 19 is provided with a series of projecting rollers, one

of which is shown at 20 in the drawings, which are adapted to contact with levelling fingers 21 and 22 to maintain low speed electric connection with hoisting motor 3 during the time the car 1 is levelling to a floor at which it is desired to stop.

The method of making such an electric connection illustrated herewith is taken for the sake of clearness of illustration from the disclosure in Fig. 6 of the Baruch patent just referred to. Consequently a brief description of this portion of the apparatus, which of course is not claimed per se, will sufiice for the present purposes.

These connections comprise in part leads 23 and 24 from the armature of motor 3 connecting respectively to wires 25 and 26. The wire 25 is connected to contacts 2'7 and 28 and the wire 26 is connected to contacts 29 and 30. The contacts 27 and 29 form part of an "up contactor 31 having a coil 32, the contactor 31 being so constructed that the contacts 2'7 and 29 will close whenever the winding 32 is energized. In the same way the contacts 28 and form part of a down contactor 33 having a winding 34. The contacts 27 and 30 are connected to a negative wire 35. In series with the wire 35 is a resistance 36 which may be cut in or out of circuit by means of contactors 3'7, which may be either automatically energized or which may be controlled by car switch 2 in accordance with standard practice by means not shown.

The motor 3 or some portion of the mechanism driven by the motor is provided with a brake operated by magnet 40. The contacts 41 and 42 operated by the fingers 2i and 22 respectively are connected thru wires 44 and 43 to the contacts 46 and 45 respectively. These contacts 45 and 46 together with contacts 41, 48, 49 and 50 form the conventional successive speed contacts operated by the car switch 2 for the purpose of controlling the speed of hoisting motor 3. Contact 45 is connected by means of wires 43 and 50 with winding 32, thereby making electric connection between winding 32 and contact 41. The other terminal of winding 32 is connected to a common wire 51, which is connected to one terminal of the winding 33, the wire 51 being connected by means of wire 53 to the brake magnet 40, which is connected thru a wire 54 with a negative wire 55. This negative wire 55 is also connected to one terminal of the magnet 56, the other terminal of which is connected thru a wire 57 with the segments 47 and 48. A positive wire 58 is connected to the segments 49 and 50 and to one side of the contact 41 and 42 by means of a wire 59. The other side of the winding 34 is connected thru wire 60 with one side of the contact 42 and thru a wire 61 with the segment 46.

All 01' these parts function to stop the car exactly level with the floor whenever the car switch or control lever 2 is returned to neutral vertical position in the manner clearly described in patent to Baruch above referred to. Therefore it will be taken for granted that this mechanism will perform this function for car A under such conditions, and that corresponding mechanism will perform a similar function for each of the other cars without a further description of the method of operation, which is now a matter of common knowledge to those skilled in the art.

Any suitable means may be employed for causing the energization of the automatic stopping and levelling means at the proper point in the cars travel after a prospective passenger at a floor has pressed the button which initiates the operation; but we prefer to employ the wellknown signal commutating mechanism of the general type shown. in patent to Smalley & Reiners #634,220 and many others in the elevator signal art.

Such a mechanism is shown diagrammatically at 70, and comprises principally the following elements: stationary feed or conducting strips 71 and. 7.2, conducting brushes 73, 74 and 75, adapted to move at. a slow rate, but proportionate to the rate of movement of the associated elevator 1, these brushes being so. actuated by any wellknown mechanical means, such as that shown in patent to Smalley & Reiners, just referred to, whereinv the actuating means consists of a screwshaft geared, to be. rotated by the elevator hoisting mechanism. Such means is not illustrated here, inasmuch as it forms no part of this invention and is too well-known inv the elevator art to require representation here.v

Characters 76 and 79 indicate current transmitting segments, each having its particular function to perform, in conjunction with the associated traveling brush, in the operation of the signal and control means for a certain floor; it

being understood. that similar segments are provided along the paths of the traveling brushes for each of the other floors past which the elevator l is travel, such an arrangement being conventional, as shown in the patent to Smalley & Reiners.

If it is desired to make the above described floor-controlled stopping means selective to the nearest elevator car, so-called selective relays, such as those indicated generally at 80, or some other equivalent means, may be employed. Assuming an installation of four cars (merely for illustration) this selector mechanism will comprise a group of eight relays for each floor and direction of travel, the four right-hand relays, as shown, being connected in a series circuit, and the four left-hand relays or coils being in branch or parallel circuits connected with the series circuit on one side, and to the respective commutator mechanisms on the other side. Thus, for example, coil is connected in' series with coils 81 to 84 on one side and to segments 77 and 79, the signal pick-up segment for the 5th floor, for example, of the commutator 70; the other three coils being connected to the 5th floor pick-up segments of their respective commutator mechanisms. 7

Assuming character represents the pushbutton operated contact located at the fifth floor for signaling cars to stop for a person wishing to ascend, assuming further that signal lamp 91 is the up signal lamp at the fifth floor associated with elevator A, and that elevator A, whose up commutator mechanism is represented at 70, is the nearest ascending elevator to the fifth floor, the. operation of the system in response to the closing of the circuit at 90 will be as follows:

Current will pass from batteries 92 (or any suitable source of current) thru wire 93;contact 9'0, to magnet. 94, thence back to the source thru wires 95 and 96.

The energization of magnet 94 thus produced will attract its armature and allow contact to be made at 97 as shown in Figure 1, thereby completing the following circuit when the elevator A reaches a predetermined point in proximity to the fifth floor, at which point thebrush 75 will span segments 78 and 79:

From source 92 thru conductor 93, contact 97,

coils 81 ,to 84, thence thru coil 85, contact at 98,

conductor 99,. segments 79 and. 78 spanned by brush 75 and conductor 100 to lamp, or other signalling means, 91, thence back to the source thru conductors 191 and 96.

The flashing of signal 91 thus produced informs the waiting passenger that car A will be the first car to arrive at the floor in the ascending direction and he will therefore station himself in front of the hatchway for car A.

Now upon nearer approach of car A brush 74 will span segment 77 and feed strip 72 to energize the automatic stopping and levellingmeans by reason of the following circuit, which will be completed at such time:

From soure 92 thru wire '3, contact 97, coils 81 to 65, contact 98, wire 99, segment 77, brush 74, feed strip 72, conductor 192, electromagnets 1 and 17, thence back thru conductors 103 and 96 to the source 92.

The energization of magnets 14 and 17 thus produced will cause the unlatching of the controller handle 2 by the mechanism previously described, thereby allowing spring 9 or equivalent returning means to return the controller handle to the neutral position whether the handle has previously been in its left or right-hand running position. This restoration of the controller handle to neutral position will cause the car A to make a stop level with the fifth floor by means of the levelling and stopping apparatus shown and her tofore described. The passenger now enters the car, after which the car may be started again by throwing the controller lever to car starting position, thereby establishing circuits to the hoisting motor 3, causing the latter to move car A so that brushes 74 and 75 pass off segments 77 and 78 and 79 respectively and further causing brush 73 to span reset segment 76.

As brush 74 passes 01f segment 77 the circuit to the magnets l-i and 17 is broken and the latches 4 and 5 assume their locking position under the influence of the springs 13 and the operator is free to remove his hand from the controller lever and need pay no further attention to the control of the car. Furthermore, as brush 75 passes of! segments 78 and 79 the circuit to lamp 91 is broken and the signal, which has served itspurpose, as far as the waiting passenger was concorned, is extinguished.

Now as brush 73 passes on to segment 76 a circuit is established to the reset magnet 195, passing as follows:

From source 92 thru conductors 93 and 106,

feed strip 71, brush 73, segment 76, thence to reset A u magnet 105 and back to the source by way of conductors 95 and 96.

The energization of the reset magnet 105 thus produced causes the withdrawal of the contact at 97, the armature of magnet being locked in the circuit open pcsition'once the contact is withdrawn. Opening of contact 97 breaks the circuit which had been established thru the coils 81 to 85 with the result that each of the armatures 111 to 113 is again permitted to drop so as to be in 111, 112 and 113 were withdrawn'from contact making position by reason of the magneticattraction set up in coils 82, 83 and 84 respectively, it

It should, howbeing understood that the armatures are so placed and pivoted that the energization of the righthand coil associated with any armature causes withdrawal of that armature from contact making position, which position it again assumes as soon as its right-hand coil is de-energized. When, however, both the right and left-hand coils associated with a particular armature are energized, there is a. neutralization of the attracting force and. consequently the armature remains in contact making position. Thus, for example, when the current passes thru coils 81 to by reason or the approach of car A as heretofore described, the energization of coils 82 to 84 withdraws the contacts 111 to 113 respectively, thereby cutting on. communication between cars B, C and D on the one hand and the fifth floor on the other, as tar as the up direction of travel is concerned. However, inasmuch as coils 81 and 85 are both energized, contact remains made at 98 as shown in Figure 1 and will remain made thru the operation previously carried thru.

We have now described the means for causing the energization of the signalling automatic stopping and levelling means when the same is initiated by a person pushing a button located at a landing floor. There remains to be described the means for automatically stopping and levelling the car at the desired floor when the button for that door located within the car has been operated. In other words, the means to be initated by the passenger within the car to stop the car at the floor at which he desires to get out.

In the preferred form this means comprises an additional commutator mechanism of the same general type as employed in connection with the floor signalling and controlling means, but this additional commutator may be much simpler in form and need only consist of a single feed strip as shown at 120 and two rows of conducting segmenlfi as shown at 121 and 122, together with a single traveling brush 123 adapted to successive 1y span the various segments 121 in the up direction of travel and adapted to successively span the various segments 122 in the "down dircctionoi travel; suitable throw-over mechanism being provided for brush 123 for shifting the at the ends of travel, similar to that shown in theSmalley 8: Reiners patent above referred to. In conjunction with the additional commutator mechanism we prefer to provide a series of relays, each having an armature or solenoid adapted to close two circuits, such relays being shown diagrammatically at 125.

Assuming button 126 is the button in the car tor initiating the control mechanism to effect a stop at the second floor and further assuming that car A has just left the ground floor in its upward travel and that a passenger has pressed button 126, signifying his intention or getting out at the second floor, the operation will be as follows:

A circuit will be completed from source 92 thru contacts operated by button 126, thence thru relay 125, back to the source 92 by way of conductors 127 and normally closed switch 128.

The energizatlon of relay 125 thus produced will cause the attraction of its armature to establish one circuit immediately and put another cirunit in closable condition, this latter circuit to be completed as soon as traveling brush 123 spans segment 130. The first circuit thus established is a holding circuit for the relay 125 and passes as follows:

From source 92 thru conductors 93 and 131,

contact 132, wire 133, thence thru relay 125 back to the source by way of wire 127 and normally closed switch 128.

The holding circuit for relay 125 thus produced will serve to retain contacts 132 and also contacts 134 in the closed position until the relay 125 is de-energized by the opening of switch 128.

Now as car A comes within the leveling zone of the 2nd floor, brush 123 will pass upon segment 130, thereby effecting the energization of ma nets l4 and 17 by reason of the following circuit:

From source 92 thru conductor 93, contacts 134, conductor 135, segment 139, brush 123, feed strip 120, thence thru conductor 102 to the magnets 14 and 17 in parallel, thence back by way of conductors 103 and 96 to the source.

The encrgization of magnets 14 and 17 thus produced will cause the automatic stopping and levelling of the car in a manner exactly similar to that already described in connection with the floor control stopping and levelling means. If desired the segments on the commutator may be so arranged that brush 123 will pass off segment 130, for example, just prior to the car's arrival on a level with the floor, so that the magnets 14 and 17 will be (file-energized just before the car comes to rest, inasmuch as the function of the magnets is fully performed as soon the controller lever 2 is released.

Upon nearing the end of travel in either dlrection, or at any other point in the discretion of the operator, the relay 125, or any of the other corresponding i'loor relays which may be energized, may be restored to normal condition by opening switch 128. This switch may be located in any convenient position in each elevator. Opening switch 123 or the corresponding switch in any of the other elevators, will tie-energize the holding relays. 1

If it is desired to make restoration automatic upon nearing the end of travel in either direction, switch 128 may be opened electrically, as for example, by the provision of a relay 140. in a circuit connecting with segments 141 and 142 so spaced as to be alternately contacted by brush 120 123 as the car nears the limits of its travel in each direction. With either arrangement it is to be understood that switch 128 is normally inclined to the closed position, the only normally open switch in the circuit to the controlling 25 relay 125, for example, being the switch operated by button 126 in the car.

In connection with the preferred latching construction shown in the drawings, it may be well to note in passing that the shape of the hooked end of each latch is such that the exertion of a strong pressure on the control lever 22 will overcome the effect of the latch and will allow the pin 7 or 8, as the case may he, to be freed from locking engagement, Such a construction will permit the stopping of the car by the operator in an emergency, but it also prevents the return of the control lever 2 t0 the stop position except by the manual application of considerable force, or by the operation of magnets 1d and 17, in the intended manner as described.

It should be mentioned that segment 141 is so placed as to be spanned by brush 123 as the car comes to within levelling distance of the terminal landing in one direction; and segment 142 is similarly placed to effect automatic stopping and levelling at the other terminal landing when the car is travelling in the other direction.

A normally closed non-stop switch, which may be opened by the operator in the car in case it 150 is desired to pass by waiting passengers at the various landings, is preferably provided in each car in circuit with the associated commutator, the non-stop switch for car A being shown at 145 in the drawings.

We have now described in detail one embodiment of our invention. Changes in various parts of the system occurring to those skilled in the art are not intended to evade the spirit of this invention, if so. .1 changes fall within the scope of this disclosure and the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In a control system for elevators, an elevator, a hoisting motor therefor, a hand-controller for said hoisting motor having neutral and running positions, means for constantly urging said controller to the neutra position, restraining means for preventing the return of the controller to neutral position when in its running position, restraining means comprising a engaging said controller, and automatically perable means for rendering said detent ine ective the elevator approaches a predetermined location.

2. In a control system for elevators, an elevator, hoisting motor lor operating said elevator between certain landings, a hand-controller for said hoisting motor having neutral and running positions, means for constantly urging said controller to the neutral position, restraining means for preventing the return of the controller to neutral position when in its running p0- sition, and automatically controlled means for rendering said restraining means inefiective as the elevator approaches one of said landings.

3. In a control system for elevators, an elevator, a hoistng motor therefor, a hand-controller for said hoisting motor having neutral and running positions, means for constantly urg ng said controller to the neutral position, restrain ng means for preventing the return of the controller to neutral position when in its ning position, said restraining means comprising a detent engaging said controller, andautomatically operable means for rendering said detent ineffective as the elevator approaches a predetermined location, said last-named means comprising an electro-maghetic device and a circuit thereto controlled by the movementof the elevator.

4. In a control system for elevators, an elevator, a hoisting motor therefor, a hand-controller for said hoisting motor having neutral and running positions, means for constantly urging said controller to the neutral position, restraining means for preventing the return or the controller to neutral position when in its running position, said restraining means comprising a detent engaging said controller, an electro-magnetic device for controlling the operation of said detent, and automatically controlled means for operating said electro-magnetic device as the elevator approaches a predeter mined location.

5. As a suocombination, an elevator, a hoisting motor therefor, a hand controller for said motor comprising an oscillatory arm having neutral and running positions, means for constantly urging said arm to its neutral posisition, restraining means for preventing the return of said arm to neutral position when in running position, said means comprising a. detent engaging said arm when the latter is in running position, and means for rendering said restraining means ineffective.

6. As a sub-combination, an elevator, a hoisting motor therefor, a hand-controller for said motor comprising an oscillatory arm having neutra and running positions, means for constantly urging said arm to its neutra position, restraining means for preventing the return of said arm to neutra position when in running position, comprising a detent engaging said arm, a rod engaging said detent, a spring on said rod normally exerting a presure against said detent to hold the latter in looking engagement with said arm, and means for retracting said rod and detent against the force of said spring.

'7. Apparatus as in claim 6 wherein the retracting means comprises an electro-magnetic device operable from within the elevator or from a floor outside the elevator.

8. Apparatus as in claim 6 wherein the detent engages a projecting pin on said oscillatory arm.

LORIN J. KELLEY. CYRUS W. BASSETT. 

